A trilateral meeting between Russia, India & China was held on Monday (December 11, 2017). The meeting focused on discussion on a range of regional and global issues. Sushma Swaraj is set to represent India in fourth trilateral meet with Japan and Australia on Tuesday. The meeting will basically focus on Indian Ocean region (IOR)

The meeting is aimed to keep the momentum going forward from the previous meetings which focused on important issues like joint maritime projects, naval cooperation and trilateral exercise to ensure a presence in Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

An Economic Times report read that the meeting will concentrate on existing challenges like “seaborne terror, North Korea, maritime territorial disputes in the Indo-Pacific region”.

Strategically, this meeting has a large number of significances. It will help to boost India’s influence in Indian Ocean region where China has always shown an aggressive stance, and also it is important to reassert the freedom of navigation in IOR where China has shown a hostile stand.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that “the consultations were held on issues of common interest in the Indo-Pacific region with a focus on cooperation based on converging vision and values for promotion of peace, stability and prosperity in the area.”

“They agreed that a free, open, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific region serves the long-term interests of all countries in the region and of the world at large. The officials also exchanged views on addressing common challenges of terrorism and proliferation linkages impacting the region as well as on enhancing connectivity,” said MEA’s statement.